There are many great resorts to choose from at Walt Disney World. There is also a huge range in the price from value to deluxe. One of my favorite places to stay on the property, especially when having young children, is Wilderness Lodge. Here is why.
Cost
Wilderness Lodge is the lowest cost deluxe hotel. It is priced between the moderate and deluxe hotels. You get a good mixture of cost and amenities. Every room has a mini fridge and a balcony. It is a decent size room and sleeps 4.
Location
Wilderness Lodge is closest to the Magic Kingdom and you can take a boat that doesn’t require you to take the kids out of their stroller. If you have little kids you might spend several days there and it is close enough to go back and forth if the kids need a mid-day break. It is also close to a few hotels that have great restaurants. You can take buses to the rest of the attractions
This resort also has a great location when it comes to dining. First, the resort has two great table service options. Whispering Canyon Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is on our top 10 table service restaurants for the great food and great fun! Wilderness Lodge also has it’s own character dining experience at Artist Point. Dine with Snow White, the Queen, and some popular dwarfs as well.
There are some great restaurants nearby as well. You can take a direct boat (a small one that requires folding up the stroller) to the Contemporary Resort (Chef Mickey’s) and Fort Wilderness (Trails End Restaurant and Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue). You can also take the boat to the Magic Kingdom and then a monorail (no need to fold up strollers for the whole trip) to the Polynesian (‘Ohana) and the Grand Floridian (1900 Park Fare Character dining)
Activities
There is lot to do at this resort and it isn’t too big. You are never too far away from the pool or a quick meal. Take the little boat to Fort Wilderness for pony rides or the Chip N’ Dale’s Camp Fire Sing-a-long. You can view the electric water pageant from the hotel too.
Resort Size and Amenities
This is a smaller resort and all the rooms are in one main building. This means you can go down and get breakfast and bring it back to your family without going outside. You can also do laundry and shopping without going outside. Everything is close which makes it easier when you come back from the parks with tired kids or it is raining.
Pool
The pool has a water slide that is fun for all ages. You can get free life preservers for your kids to wear in the big pool or down the slide if they are not swimmers. A kiddie pool and 2 hot tubs are also in the pool area.
Amenities
The resort has all of the deluxe amenities including health club, children’s program and activities, boating, playground, bike rentals, and video arcade. They have club level rooms, suites, and vallet parking if you are looking for those options.
Villas
This resort, like most deluxe resorts, also has villas. Even better than the standard villa types there are also cabins. The villas and cabins are in the areas called Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek. They have deluxe studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 2 bedroom cabins. Copper Creek even has a 3 bedroom grand villa that sleeps up to 12!
Regardless of where you plan to stay keep in mind the distance and mode of transportation to the attractions you want to see.
What hotels did you find worked best for your family? Post a comment
